The Good Mother
by MsCollins
Summary: Everything I have done, I have done for my son. He is my world. But when destiny calls upon me, I desperately cling to the one I hold most dear. By any means necessary, I will be a good mother. A story in which a second Dragonborn is introduced to the world. A farmer's wife and a mother, an Imperial woman must fulfill a Nordic legend that she was never prepared for.
1. Chapter 1

Roars that instilled instant fear within me shook all of Whiterun. Guards shouted at the common folk to take cover or take up arms against the flying monster. Without a second to lose, I grabbed my son and ran inside Belethor's store. The small, two story shop made of wood with a thatched roof was the only thing able to separate us from the dragon. I prayed to the divines that the local guard could take down the monster. There was little hope left in Skyrim. News had spread that the dragonborn had died giving birth to her first child.

Cowering behind the sales counter with my son as well as Belethor, tears ran down my cheeks out of fear for my family. If we died today, would Alduin devour us from existence? I couldn't bear the thought. My son was everything. If his soul were to be eaten by that monster, I would hope the dragon would take me as well. Too much pain accompanied these thoughts.

Roars, shouts, screams, and a loud rumble was barely muffled by the walls that sheltered us. Silver dinnerware danced on the shelves around us with each immense noise that shook the building. My son trembled in my arms and I held him tighter. "Shhh, Francois, it'll be over soon." Many more thunderous noises of the dragon and the shouting of the guard continued for what felt like a relative eternity. Bottles of wine and potions moved precariously around their original seats and a few smashed to the floor. A final roar shook the store, and all was quiet. Belethor crept to his front door and peeked outside.

"The dragon is dead!" Belethor exclaimed. I let go of the breath I had been holding and eased my grip on my child. Francois looked up to me smiling, just as thankful as I was that the thing was dead. We hugged each other tight before we crept to the door where Belethor was standing. Sure enough, the giant lizard lay slaughtered in the market square. The sales stands had been utterly destroyed. Bits of wood and charred food was scattered about. The bodies of several guards were being tended to. Scorch marks were everywhere from the dragon's cruel breath and a few fires that had sprung up were quickly being extinguished by the bountiful streams within the city. The cobble was turned up in large patches here and there.

Never before had I seen one of these things up close. I had seen them fly over the city a few times, but nothing more. It was terrifying to look upon, even knowing that it was dead. But, for how long? The things kept coming back even after they had been slain! Only the Dragonborn could keep them dead, and she was gone from this world. The last Dragonborn was supposed to end Alduin and the dragon crisis, but had died before she fulfilled her destiny.

I joined the other citizens in gawking at the lizard, all of us collectively wondering how to keep it dead as well as how to get the body out of the city and make repairs. Many of the townsfolk cursed the beast, some of them being the freshly widowed spouses of guards. A few people poked at the corpse, looking at its scales and talking about using the claws for weapons. Curiously, I stepped up to it and touched its bloodied face. I looked to the others. "Do you think we could use its bones and scales to make armor for the guards? The Dragonborn used them as armor supposedly…" I rambled.

My touch only lasted for a few seconds, before a dot of flame from where my finger had prodded erupted and started to eat at the body. More and more flames sprouted from the corpses as it was quickly enveloped, the flesh disappearing into the fire like paper in a hearth. Shocked, surprised, and freshly seized by fear, I ran back to the ring of the other citizens who were retreating away from the beast.

"What's happening?" half a dozen people asked at once, sharing terror-filled glances. I pushed my boy behind me, looking around frantically to figure out what we were all supposed to do. I spotted my husband, running along the cobble roadway towards me from the main gate. He passed the homesteads and inn at a remarkable rate. My eyes betrayed my fear.

"I thought you were home!" I voiced my concern.

"I saw the dragon flying overhead, and when it started attacking, I came running. I needed to know you were safe!" he choked out through labored breaths. He held my son and me in a tight embrace, all of us thankful to be alive. Without warning, streams of yellow, orange, and white rushed to my body. My husband and son backed away in shock and I cried out and tried to futilely get away from the magical streams enveloping and entering my body.

As quickly as it began, it ended. With wide, doe eyes, I looked over myself and met the gazes of the crowd. "Dragonborn…," they finally murmured.

Frantically, I shook my head. "No, it can't be! I can't. I can't be."

My husband gripped the shoulder of our son. I stared into him looking for answers he didn't have. "Vantus, take us home." I pleaded. I couldn't handle this. This couldn't even be real. My mind was determined it wasn't. I couldn't shout like the Dragonborn could. No magic came from my mouth or even came to mind on how to do it. Though, I did feel a new warmth flowing through me.

Awkwardly, we left the horde of gawking citizens. We didn't talk the whole way home to our farm. Dinner was silent, too. I tucked an exhausted Francois into bed. Afterwards Vantus held me tight for the rest of the night. What I had to do as the Dragonborn didn't need to be spoken.

The next morning began with a courier knocking on our door. My husband greeted the man as I tidied up the house and gathered laundry to be done for the day. I didn't dare think about yesterday's events. Like a child, I hoped that if I ignored what happened, it would just go away. I didn't want to leave my family to fight a terrible black dragon. How I would even accomplish the feat was beyond me; I had never wielded a weapon in serious combat in my life. Sure, I had done some basic practice with a dagger when I was young as nearly every Imperial accomplishes at the least, but a dagger wasn't going to bring down a dragon.

I was in the middle of washing clothes when Vantus approached me. "My love… the Jarl requests your presence." I stared at him, pokerfaced. "He… wants to talk about what happened yesterday and what it means for the future." My mouth was dry. Vantus tore his eyes away from me, rubbing his mouth and then the back of his neck and head. I let the clothes I had been scrubbing slip back into the sudsy water.

I took a deep breath and steadied myself. "When do I need to be in attendance?"

"The letter said as soon as possible." Vantus steeled himself, but he and I both knew tears would probably be shed tonight. The previous Dragonborn was constantly roaming the country, barely able to be called a resident in the city. Would I be required to do the same? Would I have to leave my family behind for an unknown amount of time in order to prepare to destroy Alduin? Another thought came to mind that I didn't wish to ever consider: Would I even survive the ordeal? Francois was pulling weeds, and I watched him with watery eyes. Would he grow up without his mother?

"Honey…," Vantus brought me back from my thoughts. "I'll take care of things here. Don't want to disappoint the Jarl, do we?" Yes. Yes we did. But, we knew we couldn't. Meekly, I nodded my head and dried my hands. Slipping on a traveling coat, a steel dagger, and putting a handful of Septims into my pocket, I embarked on my way to Dragonsreach. The dread within me could have drowned every dragon on Nirn. Everyone knew that the Dovahkiin was required to venture all over Skyrim and beyond in order to fulfill her destiny. The thing I never wanted was a destiny that separated me from my family.

* * *

"So, you are the one rumored to be Dragonborn?" Jarl Balgruuf questioned.

"Yes, my Jarl, though I do not exactly agree with it. I can't shout."

He rubbed his chin. "But, you still took in the dragon's soul, according to the guards who were there. They said that it was the same when the first Dragonborn defeated a dragon years ago."

I fumbled with my hands. "I don't know what else to say, my Jarl. I'm merely a farmer's wife. I don't know of these things."

He nodded, in thought. "The Greybeards haven't summoned you. But, I am certain that they would not turn you away. You should head to High Hrothgar. I'm sure that they can tell you why you are unable to shout."

Hesitantly, I consented to his decision. "Yes, my Jarl."

He looked me over with a softened gazed. "When I received news that the Dragonborn had died, I feared greatly for my children. They would grow up in a world being terrorized by dragons, and then their souls devoured by the World Eater. I'm sure you understand this fear. With you here and with the gift of a dragon's soul within you, the future of Whiterun hold, as well as all of Skyrim, seems so much brighter." He smiled, his mood changing to one of fervor. "Prepare yourself well for the journey. Bandits, as well as the usual wildlife, will likely be on the path to Ivarstead." He paused. "Do you have adequate arms?"

"I have a dagger, nothing more," I spoke honestly.

"What about armor?"

I shook my head. "I've had no need for it to tend to crops or my home."

He looked to his left. "Proventus, see that Ms. Loreius is adequately supplied for the journey to High Hrothgar. The gods have granted us one more chance to destroy the World Eater. I will not have it wasted."

"Yes, my lord. I will see to it at once," the steward replied with urgency. He strode confidently away to a stairwell that led somewhere further into the reach.

"Irileth. See to it that our new Dragonborn receives proper training with the weapon Proventus retrieves from the armory."

"Yes, my lord. It will be done."

"My Jarl?" I dared to request his attention.

"Yes?"

"I would like to let my husband know of all that's happening. He will need to get things in line to take care of the work I won't be able to do while away."

"That is acceptable. Come back to the keep later this afternoon and I will have all the preparations necessary for you."

A feeling of relief washed over me. Everything was moving way too fast. Perhaps spending the afternoon with Vantus explaining what happened with the Jarl would ease my anxiety.


	2. Chapter 2

My anxiety only worsened. "How long will you be gone?" the love of my life asked softly.

"I don't know. Until I've seen what the Greybeards will be able to do for me? Maybe spend a couple weeks with them going over what all I need to do in order to defeat Alduin? I imagine that it doesn't matter where I practice what they teach me, so I think I could come back within a couple months at most."

He nodded his head. "It needs to be done. I wish the gods hadn't chosen you; for I will miss you terribly and worry each day. The divines are far wiser than I, so I can only hope that they take care of you and have your best interests in mind."

Weeks passed as I trained with guards, a few Companions, and occasionally Irileth who judged my progress. They taught me how to properly wield a sword, how to repair it when damaged, as well as how to recharge its enchantment with soul gems. How to properly use armor to my advantage while fighting was also covered, as well as how to clean and repair the armor when necessary.

I completely lacked grace when I fought, but it was effective enough. My sword arm became strong, but my ability for stealth quickly became unmatched with practice while hunting with Aela. I couldn't hit a moving target. When conditions were right, I could get so close to deer that I could touch them. I could even sneak up on guards quite effectively, when I tried.

For most of my life, I thought being a mother and wife was the only thing I could have a talent in. I was stealthy. This new discovery led me to be eager to learn. I wanted to be successful at least in a couple things in life. It felt nice being able to be confident in a personal ability, even if it couldn't be wielding a weapon. Who said that I had to fight every dragon? If I could skip some battles and live to face Alduin… that had to be of some use.

"Keep your feet apart when you block," Farkas scolded as he pulled me up from the ground. I dusted myself off and rubbed my elbow. It wasn't bleeding, but the skin had an abrasion.

"I'm trying, Farkas," I complained. "The shield is heavy and it's hard to block against your blows."

"You will need to be prepared for things that hit a lot harder than I do."

I sighed. "I know…"

He patted my shoulder. "You'll get better with time. Skills like these take a lot of practice. How are things going with Aela?"

I shrugged, "Well, I suppose. I can't hit a moving target with my bow to save my life, but I've developed an edge through stealth. When I can sneak up on whatever we're hunting, I can usually bring it down with one shot."

He rubbed his chin. "That can be pretty useful, but make sure that you're working on your face-to-face fighting skills. You won't be able to sneak up on everything you'll face."

I nodded. "I'll do the best I can."

He gave a rough pat to the shoulder. "Well, whelp, it's getting late. Why don't you head on home? We'll meet up again tomorrow."

"Sounds good." After sheathing my sword, I walked around Jorrvaskr and down the steps.

"Hail, Companion," a guard said in passing. It gave me a small smile. Even though I wasn't the warrior Farkas and the rest were, I had still earned a place among them. I wasn't necessarily a true Companion yet, however. They didn't mind that I was still learning; it was the fire that mattered. It also didn't hurt that I was consistent when fighting. I had gone out on jobs with my shield siblings and did an alright job. They knew what I had gotten good at and what I still needed to work on. I couldn't hit the hardest, but I could make a great distraction while my betters were recovering or needed a moment to make the final blow.

My smile faded. It was nearly time to head off to High Hrothgar. I was given only a couple months to learn as much as I could. The Jarl thought it would be best to start training my Voice before winter set in. It felt too soon, but the Nords would probably know more about this than me. They weren't necessarily thrilled than an Imperial was the focus of a Nordic legend, but the first option didn't work out. She had been a Nord, and a warrior to boot, yet ultimately failed in her duties.

Summer's end was upon us. The final crops were picked and either sold or stored away and the land was set to rest. It was also time to go to High Hrothgar. My training was seen as satisfactory enough for travel. I secured my leather armor in place and shifted a small pack onto my shoulder.

In the sling, I kept a variety of dried meats, bread, some apples, and carrots. A water canteen also hung from my side. A tent and bedroll were tightly rolled together and attached to my pack. My sword, freshly sharpened and recently enchanted to help keep me from tiring quickly, was secured to my side as well. My son and husband embraced me. "Come back to me, do you hear?" Vantus said as he suppressed tears. He kissed me lovingly.

"Be safe, Ma," Francois said into my abdomen as he hugged me tightly. "I'm going to miss you so much, but I just know you will come back to me."

I smiled as my eyes welled up with tears. "I will hurry as much as I can. A day without the most important men in my life is one I do not look forward to." With how young he was, I wondered if he really understood what I was leaving to go face.

We said our goodbyes and I began traveling the road. Guards and the Companion, Farkas, accompanied me for the expanse of Whiterun hold, warding off some bandits that might have otherwise taken advantage of me travelling alone. Balgruuf wasn't joking when he said he would make all preparations necessary to ensure my presence in the world wasn't squandered. He had worked with The Rift hold as well, so guards accompanied me all the way to Ivarstead. Farkas continued on with me as well, somewhat as a personal body guard for when the guards could no longer escort us.

The trip was mostly quiet and I lamented not training. My abilities with the sword were still questionable and I completely lacked the skill to wield a bow properly. Shields were too heavy for me to make adequate use of. We made camp along the road a couple times before making it to the inn.

During the downtime, I would hear talk of the previous Dragonborn and what they thought of me in comparison. I couldn't help but feel put down by their words. They spoke of her grace and strength, of which I lacked. Apparently she knew a great many shouts and spells as well, which I also lacked. If what they said was true, she was the Arch-mage of the school in Winterhold as well as being Thane in at least two holds.

I had never wielded magic in my life. It made me nervous, to be honest. A farmwife should never have to be compared to someone grown to be a warrior, either. I thought of Francois constantly, wondering how he was doing. I opted to remain silent during the trip. The old cobble road and gentle shrubs and flowers that lined the road offered little condolence. Even my bedroll didn't seem to hug me as tightly as I needed. Finally, Ivarstead came into view and the guards I was beginning to loathe departed.

Farkas and I made our way to the inn. I paid for my room and bade the guards a nearly hollow thanks and farewell. Farkas paid for his room and we dined together before settling in for the night. "Thank you for coming with me, Farkas," I said in between bites of my venison.

"It's been a pleasure. Uneventful, but that's what everyone was hoping for. Though, a little action would have probably been good practice for you," he commented before taking a drink of his mead. "Ms. Loreius, I've known you for a couple months now and I still don't know your first name. Is there a reason why you won't tell me?"

I smiled gently. "I prefer to be called Ms. Loreius. It's strange, I know, but it's just something I prefer." He looked as though he was going to push the point, but I gently intercepted. "You know, I don't think bandits even compare to fighting dragons."

He noticed my change of subject, but thankfully didn't push. "That's true, but any practice would only be a benefit. I can help you with a great deal of things, but you'll ultimately have to do this on your own."

I started work on my baked potatoes. "I'm sure that I will get plenty of experience along the way. Between training with everyone at Whiterun and whatever I might learn with the Greybeards, I think I will have learned enough to take on real combat."

He nodded solemnly. "I do sure hope so. From what I've seen, you might not be the greatest fighter, but you can get the job done. Just don't die on us like Thava."

My brows knitted in confusion. "Who's Thava?"

He sighed and laid down his fork. "She was my Harbinger. I'm surprised you didn't know her, though I suppose she wasn't in town enough to really get to know. She was also the last Dragonborn."

The mood had gone very solemn and I didn't push the conversation further. I knew that the harbinger, Kodlak, had died during a battle within the city and that he had had a successor, but I never knew it was the Dovahkiin. We finished our meals and went to bed. The following day we would be making it up thousands of steps to see if the trip was even worth the effort. We had no way of knowing if the Greybeards would see me at all. My last thoughts before sleep took me were of my family currently living without me.


	3. Chapter 3

Morning came with a ruckus. Shouting and the general shuffling of feet brought me out of my sleep. "I saw the ghost in the barrow again!" cried a young man loud enough for me to hear through my closed door. Muffled tones followed afterwards as I got dressed for the day. When I made it out to the main hall of the inn, I saw Farkas talking to the innkeeper.

Farkas turned to me with a grin. "I managed to find you some practice after all. We're going to deal with a ghost in the barrow nearby."

I stared at him. "A ghost?"

"So the whole village says. The innkeeper here has seen it himself. As a Companion, I am honor bound to protect the people of Skyrim. As the Dragonborn, you need practice prior to fighting dragons so that you can be successful. I figured we could fulfill both things at the same time. What say you?"

I considered it for a moment. Farkas was strong, without a doubt. It was unimaginable that a ghost would stand a chance against him. "Let's go find us a ghost," I said with a return grin that border-lined being fake. Maybe, if Farkas stuck with me for training like this, I wouldn't die before I fought Alduin. Maybe I wouldn't die during the fight with Alduin, too. If the guards' words held any truth, I needed to hone my skills by whatever means necessary.

We ventured out of the tavern with only the gear we deemed necessary. The bedrolls, food, and other excess stayed at the inn. We brought with us a few potions for healing and the water canteen. Farkas took the lead as I didn't have experience going into any kind of battle.

We approached the large, circular ruins. The doorways were arches, and resting places for the dead could be seen from the outside. Despite my uneasiness, I followed Farkas into the thing. Bones laid freely in their respective open-topped coffins made of some dark metal. The gray stonework that the whole structure consisted of was crumbling against the stand of time. Ivarstead was small and maintaining stonework was labor intensive as well as expensive, so I suppose it was to be expected. Behind the face of the main building, within the casing of windowed walls we ventured between, stood a heavy door that seemed to gleam. I presumed it was made of ebony, or perhaps something more rich.

Farkas looked back at me before pushing the door open. "No ghost so far. Merely the honored dead. After we take care of this business, I think we should leave some coins as an offering for trespassing."

"I agree. We can't allow this ghost to terrorize the town and disturb the resting place, but I don't feel right entering this place without paying some sort of respect to your ancestors." We carefully descended the old wooden spiral walkway. Farkas laughed at me as I clung to the wall in fear of falling from the steps breaking.

To say that we were surprised to find the interior full of light and somewhat warm would be an understatement. Ghosts didn't need torches and burning basins, did they? I doubted it and so did Farkas. As we ventured a short way inside, the ghost appeared by a barred entry way. My hair stood on end as I broke out into a sweat. "Leave this place!" it demanded in a haunting tone.

Farkas wasn't fazed, it seemed. "We will leave when you are no longer haunting the revered dead, ghost," he growled. He wielded his two-handed sword threateningly, but the ghost was out of reach. Farkas and the ghost stared at one another for a moment before the ghost walked away into a corridor we couldn't see into. He turned to me. "Right. We should find a way to get those bars opened and chase down that ghost. I'm not convinced that was a true ghost. Or, if it was, then there's someone else down here."

I nodded as I listened. "Ok. What should we look for?"

"Levers, buttons, and the like. But, don't activate them when you find them. Let me deal with them. I've gone into ruins and barrows to clear out bandits, so I know what to look for when it comes to traps. On that thought, you should keep behind me as well. Floor traps are common and I don't want you stumbling into one."

"Sure thing," I said as optimistically as I could. Traps? Ghosts? Why couldn't we have just departed to High Hrothgar?

Farkas looked at me and sighed. "There's another reason why I wanted you to come with me into this place." I perked up curiously at his declaration. "You see, Thava would receive letters by courier that would occasionally say what places she should go to in order to obtain power that only the Dragonborn could. The last letter told her to come here. She told us that she wanted to go after the baby was born and asked if anyone wanted to come along." He paused his search and folded his arms with a downcast gaze. "Well, you know the rest. I was hoping that this power, whatever it is, could be useful to you. Maybe, it would be enough to get the attention of the greybeards or somehow help you get to the next step in your journey."

"What is this power?" I asked. I had never heard of such a thing.

He shrugged. "I never went with Thava to find something like this. Usually she would be accompanied by her housecarl, Lydia, but she was off visiting family for a time. If she hadn't of brought it up, I never would have known about it."

"Oh," I said quietly. I couldn't help but wonder why Thava couldn't have waited until Alduin was dead to have children. If she had, I could have been at home with my own child. I missed him so much. My lip quivered for only a moment; it would not do well to cry in hostile territory. Thava left big shoes to fill, and I needed to work on filling them as much as I could. The world depended on me.

With that weight full force on my shoulders and the silent voice asking if everyone was asking too much of me, Farkas and I silently agreed to press on. It didn't take long to find levers to open the bars to the other door. Being the novice that I was, I wasn't trusted to activate any of the levers. It was a good decision in the end, as I didn't notice the dart trap until Farkas pointed it out. He also used his sword to activate the levers from a distance, which left me feeling terribly stupid as I hadn't thought of that and would have probably perished from the darts that sprung from the walls when one of the levers was pulled. Under the Companion's direction, traversing the tunnels of the barrow wasn't too grand a task. My naivety and possibly utter lack of any intelligence or sense was shining like a lighthouse on a dark shore, though Farkas made no comments on it. He did everything he could to explain and teach me little tricks with Nord ruins such as these.

"Constantly check over the floor," he said. "There's pressure plates that activate traps if they're stepped on. They're fairly obvious, though, since they stick out above the normal floor and often have markings on them. Some aren't part of the floor at all and look a lot like bear traps." I nodded frequently, absorbing as much as I could.

We continued on, the stale air starting to bother my lungs. I could smell dust, and it bothered me relentlessly. We approached a door and I couldn't help but rub my hands over my face to alleviate the feeling that dust or dirt or whatever was floating around in here was sticking to my skin. "Keep your eyes open," he warned as he eased the door open, weapon at the ready. I gripped my sword a bit tighter. My body was sweating profusely and my stomach was in knots.

What happened next was so fast that if you blinked, you would have missed it. The ghost was in the room and, as soon as the door came open, it attacked. Farkas blocked the ghost's measly strikes and brought his sword around in a graceful arc down onto the ghost's head. That was when we learned that it wasn't a ghost at all.

The man crumpled to the ground, his skull cleaved, and gushing blood all over the ground. I screamed. Then I screamed some more. My sword clattered to the ground as I backed away hastily and in a clumsy fashion. I tripped over my own feet and crashed onto my rear as I continued to scream at the horror that my wide-eyes gave me.

The Companion rushed to me, shaking my shoulders. "Hey, calm down. It's all right. Calm down," he urged in soft tones. My screams turned to body-wracking sobs. He hugged me and patted my back. "Easy, there. Relax," he coaxed.

After a relative eternity in my own personal nightmare, I finally calmed just enough to speak, though I was not calm by any standard. My whole body trembled "Farkas, that was a man! You killed him!" I was shaking my head in denial. "He tried to kill us! Mara forgive me, we just murdered someone! He was a man, he was a man!" my panicked garble echoed through the corridors.

Farkas continued to calm me the best he could. Finally, after I had cried myself out, he spoke. "Have you never had to fend of bandits or some other kind of attacker or at least seen it happen?" I shook my head, eyes puffy from crying and cheeks tearstained. He sighed. "I didn't realize this would be your first real confrontation, and for that I apologize. I had assumed that you would have at least bore witness to something like this at least once, but I was wrong. Please forgive me for my mistakes. I regret not speaking to you beforehand, at the least."

I shook my head. "I don't know how I escaped things of this nature for so long, but it is true that this was nothing like I expected. Farkas, please don't feel badly for something that couldn't be helped. I don't think talking about… this… would have changed my reaction much." The urge to puke was suddenly upon me, though I desperately tried not to give in.

"There are times you will have to kill another to defend yourself. It gets easier as it happens more and more," he said solemnly, though with purpose.

"You mean… I might have to do that to… someone else in the future?" I blanched at the thought, and, like the idiot I realized I was, started to dry-heave when I looked upon the dead man again. Farkas let me go, and I lost my breakfast to the floor. He watched me, knowingly, and held back my hair. Feeling utterly ill, it dawned on me that this must be what it's like to be a coward. Farkas gently moved my hands from my face to look me in the eyes. "I'm a coward," I uttered to myself mostly. "If I can't even do _this_ , then I've already let everyone down."

"No," he replied almost fiercely. "Just because you weep the loss of another person doesn't make you a coward. It shows you're a good woman. Many men that I work with reacted very much the same way when witnessing someone's death for the first time. It showed they were good men. Bandits, murderers, and others that I've had to fight and kill don't exactly deserve the compassion that is in the hearts of good women and men, but they get it anyways because it's what makes good people, good. You will learn how to keep yourself together in time and to feel your grief for them in an internal way. But, never think that this makes you a coward."

It took a bit for it all to sink in. Farkas felt the same way I did for the man that lost his life but moments ago? When questioned, he said that he did, but didn't let his feelings wreak havoc over his actions. He also said that prayer for the souls of those killed would ease any burden of guilt or grief. I would pray for this man. I didn't know why he did the things he did, but was good at some point in his life and deserved at least a prayer to the gods on his behalf. May his soul be sent to Aetherius.

While I composed myself, Farkas moved the body to a bedroll that was in the room and covered him. He also took the liberty of thumbing through the man's journal that was found. The contents were woeful. The man, who had initially come looking for riches, had eventually gone mad. He believed he really was a ghost defending the barrow. I couldn't help but feel worse about what had happened to the pitiful man. Farkas said we were good to end his life. No one deserved to live so lost in madness. He said that his soul would be at peace now. His words only comforted so much, but I believed in him as much as I could.

"Let's take this back to Wilhelm. He'll be glad to know that there aren't really any ghosts haunting this place." My face saddened as my heart sank. Farkas noticed. "And maybe he can send word to find this guy's family so they can lay him to rest properly."

These words alleviated and worsened my guilt at the same time. The man we killed would get the respects the dead deserved, but at the same time the man's family would be experiencing loss because of me. Despite what Farkas said, I blamed myself. Even though I hadn't swung the blade, if I hadn't of gone to the market in Whiterun on the day a dragon attacked I wouldn't have known I was Dragonborn. If I didn't know about being Dragonborn, we never would have come here. He would still be alive.


	4. Chapter 4

The innkeeper was indeed happy. He even awarded us with a rather ugly token. Well, the fact that it seemed to be made of sapphire made it beautiful, but it was carved into some sort of strange foot. Wilhelm called it a claw. Farkas and I discussed over lunch what to do with it.

"I don't want to go back in there, Farkas," I pleaded.

"I know, Ms. Loreius, but we need to see if the power Thava was going to hunt down is actually in there. You need every tool that's offered in order to stop Alduin. There's also supposedly some treasure in there that I'm sure you could use. A horse would do you good as well as an upgrade in armor. If I learned anything from Thava, this Dragonborn business gets expensive. There were a great deal of preparations she was going through and I don't think the income of a farm would have done her much good."

I shook my head, in denial. Deep down, I know his words were true if any of the rumors I'd heard about the Dragonborn were true. If the sheer amount of business at Belethor's and Arcadia's was anything to go by, just the amount of supplies needed would come to a staggering price. "Wouldn't it be grave robbing, though?" I asked.

He shook his head. "A treasure pile isn't the same as offerings or effects placed in liaison with a body. What you will be taking is merely a store." I wasn't convinced and he knew it. "Think of it this way. What good is that treasure doing the honored dead if Alduin is devouring their souls? I'm sure they'd be happy to give you the forgotten trinkets in exchange that you use them to further your quest to Alduin's destruction. It's a better way to honor them. Rather than leaving their fate to Alduin, you will be enabling them to be undisturbed in Sovngarde."

I nodded, fully on board this time. "I can't let Alduin steal their souls away. Treasure doesn't do them any good while I could be of service."

He smiled. "That's the spirit. We'll leave our own offerings when we exit the barrow with the treasure. Hopefully, you will have gained that unknown power, too."

It was some time after noon, though well before dusk that we ventured back into that dreadful barrow. Farkas took the lead and I was more than willing not to argue the point. Turns out, the Companion had a strange sense of humor. While we traversed the ancient halls, he taught me how to use traps to my advantage. He also taught me that the dead don't necessarily stay dead in crypts like these and that they could be lured into traps.

"Stay here," Farkas motioned. He drew my attention to the floor to what had to be a pressure plate and then pointed to the ceiling. There was an old log hoisted strangely to the ceiling. My skin crawled so intensely that I thought it was going to crawl clean off my bones as Farkas hit the hilt of his sword against the wall a few times and a walking skeleton came into my view.

It quickly, and stupidly, advanced upon us but was just as quickly smashed by the log that detached from the ceiling and swung with incredible force. The skeleton obliterated and bones scattered everywhere in such a manner that a laugh escaped me. Farkas and I grinned at each other. The log, by some clicking mechanism, was hoisted back up to the ceiling and ready to take out the next one stupid enough to step on the plate in the floor.

"Easy enough, right?" Farkas laughed. "You're not the brawny type. Use your smarts and you can get through battles that your sword arm won't serve you in."

"That's not too bad an idea. I think I could do that, I just don't know what to look for when it comes to fighting. I am pretty creative when it comes to cooking, though." I jested lightly.

He smiled and humored me, "Cook up something to chase the Draugr away and things like this will be a breeze."

In higher spirits than earlier in the day, we continued on and took down skeletons and Draugr in creative fashions that would be better suited for my style. Farkas could have just overpowered the undead, but he made it a point that this little adventure was for my benefit.

Quickly, I learned that the undead didn't deserve as much fear as I initially had for them. They definitely needed to be avoided, but they were gullible and easily tricked to walking into traps. Farkas showed be an added benefit to carrying torches, as well. Sometimes oil was on the ground and it was very, very flammable. We even managed to take out four Draugr at once! We went through a few tunnels that were too small for us to walk abreast that we had to traverse through, and I looked forward to never doing so again. Large roots snaked along the ground and walls and partial cave-ins were too common for my liking. This was a deathtrap if there ever was one.

It was all fun and games until we got to the last chamber. Farkas and I entered the room, eyeing the drops on either side of the walkway. There were sarcophagi scattered about, though it looked like there was some sort of meaningful purpose to the placement. There were a couple tower-like areas where the steps began below us and there were steps on our level leading up to another platform.

What caught us by surprise was the heavy lids of several tombs popping open and busting on the ground and the dead inside clambering to get out. My hair stood on end and my eyes were wide as I dashed to cut down one of the skeletons as quickly as I could. Luckily, I caught it before it managed to get out of its resting place and it was easily dispatched with a harsh swing of my blade. I raced to the next one and smashed in its brittle skull before it could get to its feet. Farkas had done the same.

"Well done," he said and was quickly cut short by more sarcophagi bursting open. These were on the tower-like platforms and I couldn't make it in time. The walking corpse raised its rotted arm to bring down a sword on me, but I ran back down the steps before it made it mid-swing. My heart was pounding and I was frantic as I dashed away from the Draugr. Farkas was still busy with his Draugr and that left me face-to-face with mine at the entry of this gods-forsaken room. The thing hit its sword against its shield in a taunting fashion, the loud clangs echoing off the wall. I approached defensively with my sword clenched tightly in my fists and ready to run at a moment's notice if the thing were to overpower me.

The Draugr swung first in a left to right fashion and I jumped back, though I was likely too far away for it to hit anyways. It did so again, and again, and I finally mustered the courage to bring my blade down onto its shoulders. The Draugr barked angrily at me and I made a hasty retreat. Of course, it chased me up the steps to the untraversed platform. It made a slow, full-body swing at me. Being too far away again, it missed, but as it ended its arc and before it could recover for another swing, I rushed over and pushed it off the edge. It landed with a loud crack, its blade skittering across the floor.

Even more Draugr popped out of their tombs, though I couldn't see where they had come from. Farkas bludgeoned and slashed them back to death one after another with ease. I had become so shaky that keeping my sword steady was nigh impossible. I was sweating profusely from work and stress and my breaths were short and panicked. Never had I been in such danger of losing my life.

When Farkas slew the last Draugr, the sarcophagus behind me burst open, making me scream in surprise. Farkas dashed as quickly as he could from the lowest tier in the place while I hacked at the thing while it was trying to get up. It wasn't dying quickly like the others and my swings became sloppier as I panicked even more. The Draugr made it out of the sarcophagus and proceeded to advance on me. I proceeded to run away from it. It chased me in circles around its half-destroyed sarcophagus and managed to get a few swings at me. I blocked the best I could, though that proved to be not good enough as I earned some painful gashes onto my arms from the Draugr's old, dulled sword. After a few minutes, the Draugr laughed at me. I couldn't believe it. Even Farkas had started laughing at me after he took the Draugr's head off.

My lips pursed into a pout as I held my wounds tightly, blood seeping through my fingers. After all that had transpired, I wanted to cry again. "Stop laughing at me!" I shouted at Farkas. He actually had to wipe tears from his eyes. It was humiliating, to say the least. He searched through his pack and assisted me with a potion to heal me. With a sigh of relief, the wounds closed and I wiped my hands on my cuirass.

"That had to of been the most hilarious confrontation with a Draugr Lord that I've ever seen." He laughed a little more, to my ever-increasing displeasure. "You did well, though. The first time is always the most difficult. I was actually impressed that you stuck with the fight as long as you did. Most would have run off at this point."

"I thought warriors were brave and never ran from battle," I half-retorted, half asked.

"Bravery is something learned through experience. Usually, new bloods for the Companions are run through a few test runs to see how they learn with each new task. Those that get better every time usually end up sticking around and become full members of the Companions. The rest, well, don't."

I kicked at the ground with the tip of my leather boot. "Will I be able to do all that I'm supposed to do, you think?" I gestured broadly in somewhat of a circle.

He nodded. "Definitely. Both Dragon and man will tremble at your passing once you have learned all that you need to."

It was a relief just to hear the words. He was implying I had a long ways to go, but it was nice that someone had faith that I could this whole Dragonborn thing. "Let's go on to the next chamber," he said. "We have to be getting close to the end. It feels like we've gone full-circle already."

I nodded and followed closely behind him. The next room proved to be empty of Draugr, thank the Gods. It did, however, present us with a rather large chest. We went up and opened it. Inside, there was a two-handed sword that glimmered with some kind of enchantment as well as hide bracers, a few necklaces, and some books. The bottom was covered in gold, though I didn't know how much.

I looked around the dim chamber. Only a little sunlight filtered through the roof here. "I guess this sword is the Dragonborn power we came for?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I don't think so. Let's keep looking around. This sword really isn't anything special, so there has to be something else here."

I shrugged. To the right, there was a door and I started towards it. Following the path, I was made to approach a curved wall with strange lettering on it. I paid it no heed until I realized one of the words was glowing and a distant chanting noise could be heard. My brows furrowed. What was this? I kept going, and the closer I got, tendrils of light, like when I had absorbed the dragon's soul, started towards me. It didn't scare me like it did the last time, though I didn't understand why. All I could focus on was reading the word. For a moment I stared at the word, and I suddenly knew what this was. It was a word to calm hostile animals. Kyne's Peace. "Kyne…" I said to myself, bewildered. "Kaan," I whispered to myself, trembling slightly to the power I now knew that word held.

Farkas shook my shoulder. "Ms. Loreius, are you all right?" he asked, voice thick with concern.

I smiled brilliantly. "We found it. The Dragonborn power is a shout that was on that wall. I know it, now." Happy tingles were flowing through my body and I looked around thoughtfully. "Let's get out of here."

Farkas was content with my answer, though I could tell he was immensely curious by the looks that were sent my way. We took our loot to our rooms in the inn. Farkas gave me the gold and books while he took the rest. My share seemed a little large in my opinion considering how little of the fighting I actually did, but Farkas was content.

After dinner, I walked around outside. I wanted to try to shout, but I would need an animal nearby to know if it would work like I thought it did. Well, an animal that was less than friendly would need to be around. I hung around the outskirts of the village while I tried to decide whether to go out and see if it worked or go to bed early to rest for the climb to High Hrothgar tomorrow morning. Farkas made the decision for me. "Are you going to shout?"

I couldn't help but grin. "I want to, but to know if it works like I think it will, I need an aggressive animal near."

"Why not shout just because you can?" he questioned.

That wasn't a bad idea. "KAAN!" I shouted. The effect was a loud, thundering noise that released some sort of powerful wave from me. It was amazing.

Farkas didn't seem to think that it was all that amazing, however. He held his ears with a pained look on his face. He grunted and rubbed the sides of his head. "Next time, at least warn me that you're going to do that."

"I'm sorry!" I pleaded. "I didn't know what was going to happen. I'm so sorry, Farkas!"

He shook his head as the pain passed. "The Dragonborn doesn't hear shouts the way the rest of us do. You won't be hurt by your own power, so don't worry about that."

"Oh, I see. I'm still sorry, though." My eyes were sad and begging for forgiveness.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm just glad you can shout, now. I guess we need to find you more words to learn and kill some dragons so you can take their souls."

"I suppose so." I paused for a moment. "You mean, you're going to stick with me through this whole thing?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't mind it if you invited me along, but it's up to you. We can talk about what you want to do after you've seen the Greybeards. For all I know, they can teach you everything you need to know up there and you won't even need me by the end."

By now, a small knot of curious villagers were poking their heads out of windows or doors or had come outside expecting to figure out why it sounded as though thunder had clapped next to their houses. Finding only a Companion and a comparatively scrawny female warrior, they stopped snooping. A twinge of embarrassment ran through me. I really didn't want to explain that I could Shout to every person I met. Farkas and I deemed it time to call it a night. Extra attention always brought unwanted visitors, at least to Farkas' experience, so he made it a point to be punctual about leaving early tomorrow morning.


End file.
